Short and Sweet

Historically, rye, wheat, barley, oats, millet have been grown in Russia. Local people mastered the technique of making flour earlier than many peoples of Europe and Asia.

That is why an abundance of baked dishes and confectionery is characteristic of Russian cuisine: all kinds of pies, kulebyak, donuts, rolls, loaves, pies, pancakes. Tea is often accompanied by pastries and sweets.

Flat round (and sometimes triangular) closed pies with a thin layer of dough and a solid layer of filling are loved throughout Russia.

In the homeland of the dish, the name of the pie changes depending on the filling, for example, a pie with minced meat is called fiddzhin, and with wild garlic leaves and dawongin cheese.

The filling can be anything from cabbage or beet tops to pumpkins and cherries.

Historically, the dough was bland, mixed with water; now it is often prepared with milk, kefir or eggs. Incidentally, Ossetian pies are an irreplaceable element of the national ritual called “Three Pies.” 

Kissel banks with rowanberry and cinnamon. It is a viscous fruit dish, popular as a dessert or a drink.

It consists of the sweetened juice of berries, thickened with cornstarch, potato starch or arrowroot. Sometimes red wine or fresh or dried fruits are added.

Kozuli is, basically, Russian Christmas Gingerbread. Traditionally, they are prepared only during Christmas time. Originally kozuli are a symbol of fertility, fulfilment, prosperity and a symbol of good hunting.

Contemporary fillings include diverse jams and condensed milk.

The most famous pryaniki are from Tula, a city not far from Moscow, where they have been baked since the 17th century, a history tracked by the local Pryanik Museum.

Medovik is apparently a simple honey cake, but there is one trick to it that eludes so many. Even with so many layers, it has to feel like a whole and melt in your mouth. This is what distinguishes Russia's medovik from other honey-made desserts popular in other countries.

It has its own origin legend, related to Alexander I's wife Yelizaveta Alexeyevna. She didn't like honey, and everyone at the court knew that. Everyone but the newly appointed chef who, in his ignorance, made a honey cake. 

Yelizaveta Alexeyevna enjoyed the cake and asked the chef for its recipe. He had already been told what an abysmal mistake he had committed, and it took a lot of convincing before he shared his secret. Yelizaveta Alexeyevna laughed and had the medovik cake included on tsar’s court menu.

Tatar and Baskhir pastry recipes are an exercise in skill for novice cooks, a regular on the menu in fast food chains, and a staple for weekdays and holidays.

Also popular are triangular buns made with yeast or unleavened dough and stuffed with meat and mashed potatoes. These are called echpochmak or uchpochmak in Bashkir. he region's chief dessert treat is the sweet chak-chak with bits of dough fried in oil and glued together with honey syrup.

This cake was invented as a way to use up leftover cake scraps at confectioneries and was named for its appearance. Kartoshka (potato) cake was a brown oblong cake made from sweet biscuit crumbs with cream, condensed milk, and chocolate, decorated with ‘shoots’ made out of cream.